Fullness of life
I have been working as a volunteer at the geriatric ward of GlenroseRehabilitationHospital for nine years. I started volunteeringthere to have some field experience in order to prepare to be a provisional psychologist after my academic credentials had been approved. When I applied for a volunteer position at the hospital, they suggested that I work at the geriatric ward. They told me that very young volunteers at the ward don’t last because they cannot deal with ‘unfriendly’ patients. I was thinking of asking for a transfer to other wards later but nine years later I am still working there, which seems to say something about my aptitude. All the patients at the ward have dementia. Three nurses are stationed in the ward and responsible for a dozen patients. A psychiatrist, the best doctor of the year, routinely comes and visits their patients. Physiciansattend to those with physical issues.
I work as a volunteer at the geriatric ward every Saturday. My role is to help the residents to kill time while waiting for their discharge. On average, they stay at the ward for four weeks or so. Some are not reachable living in their own worlds or/and at their last stages of illness. I spend time with those who are still willing to interact with others. I seekinformation on the patients from the nurses and the custodian. They guide meto residentswho are likely to appreciate my visit. I have noticed that those residents have some sparkling moments or aspects though they have mental disability. I try to help them to concentrate on those strengths. Some residents impress me when they play cards so well while they have difficulty remembering simple daily events. Others tell me their lives. Some residents just repeat the same stories. Others share their precious memories with me, which I treasure. There are some residents who seem not reachable but have some short windows of ‘life’ peeking out. I feel privileged to witness thoseshining moments.
I could not help becoming philosophical as I started working at the ward. Old age brings different values from young age does. Young life is full of potential and vitality and directed outwards. Later life is full of achievements and lives touched and directed inwards. I feel that later life deserves as much care and support as young life, which is not always the case and quite understandable from the view point of economy and productivity (I am working right in the core of the harsh financial competition.) . However, the very economy and productivity have been produced by people who are now attheir later stage of life. People feel comfortable and secure in a society which looks after those who have worked hard to make everyone’s living better, which will give more vitality to the society. It is a mutuallypositively influencing cycle.
After spending nine years at the geriatric ward as a volunteer, I have come to realize some of what these geriatric patients with dementia are facing. They all grieve loss. The loss may be mental, physical, or social. Some residents take it well and some become bitter. Others are not even aware of their loss. They all want to go back to be the way they were. Psychologists can help those clients to smoothly move from one stage of their life to the next. What matters the most,I feel,is individual wholeness or fullness of life. Psychologists’ job is to actualize individuals’ wishesas much as possible within the framework of realistic goals. I would prefer to put individual faces first and then deal with issues related to geriatric field.
At a personal level I deal with geriatric issues very closely. I lost my 20-year-long mentor five years ago for cancer. The final period was extremely hard and forced me to face the inevitable issues of life. I also have elderly parents who are always on my mind but I am not able to do much other than visit them once a year.
What attracts me about the profession of psychologists in comparison with other occupations is that psychologists are responsible for their own wellness. They are not able to serve their clients appropriately if psychologists themselves do not look after themselves. I am not naïve to literally believe the notion in a real world. However, this philosophy or professional responsibility sits well with my own belief system.
I am a hard worker and determined to learn whatever necessary to work as an intern.
Regards,
Kenji Yoshimi